Tag Archives: elevator speech

How many of you think about this question BEFORE you step up to an organization’s booth at a career fair?

What attracts you to that booth? If you’ve done your research ahead of time, this question can be answered fairly simply. They have the prestigious name you’d like to work for. The work seems interesting and satisfying. There are benefits with the job. They have job or internship openings.

You are just looking for a place to land… Sorry, this last one is wrong! It implies you didn’t do your job ahead of time to research the companies that were coming to the fair. Let’s take a little look at how you can prepare ahead of time for the career fair.

Know what you’re looking for – Do you want an Internship? A job? What type of company would you like to work for? What do you want to do? What skills do you want to learn/use? Think idealinternship/job. You can always adjust your criteria as you start your research.

Know who’s coming to the fair – Most career fairs will provide a list of the companies and organizations that are planning to attend. Research the companies/organizations to find which ones match (or come closest) your ideal list. Then, figure out if you meet their ideal list (they have expectations, too).

Put together your resume – This is a general resume that covers your skills, abilities, accomplishments, etc. It will appeal to a wider range of employers than the resume you will send when applying to a specific company for a specific job. Career & Leadership Development can help you. Schedule an appointment (phone: 262-472-1471; in person – UC 146) or email it for a review. Be sure to have another set of eyes look at your resume.

Print your resume on resume paper – Don’t print multiple page resumes back-to-back or staple pages together. In general, a one-page resume, well-written, should be sufficient for a career fair. Make enough copies for the employers you plan on seeing, plus a couple of extra “just in case” resumes.

Dress properly – Business dress is always appropriate, but at least come in business casual. You’re trying to make a good impression.